How an Idiopathic Event Affects a New Jersey Workers’ Comp Claim
According to New Jersey workers’ compensation laws, a workplace injury is compensable only if it arises out of and in the course of employment. In other words, your workplace injury must have occurred while you were on the job and there must be some connection between your work activity and your injury in order for you to be eligible for compensation. However, if your employer proves that your injury occurred at work but is classified as an idiopathic injury, you will be denied benefits.
If you suffered a workplace injury, you need to hire a workers’ comp attorney in New Jersey to get the medical or disability benefits to which you are entitled.
Idiopathic Injuries Explained
An idiopathic injury is defined as a medical issue that is caused by a purely personal condition that has little or no connection to the performance of your work duties. Common examples of idiopathic events include falls caused by a non work-related heart attack or epileptic seizure.
However, if your workers’ comp attorney in New Jersey can prove that the idiopathic injury, such as a heart attack, did arise out of and in the course of employment, it may be compensable under New Jersey workers’ compensation laws.
Employer Has Burden of Proof
To bar recovery for an idiopathic injury, the employer has the burden of proving that the event or medical issue spontaneously arose from an obscure or unknown cause and is not related to a work activity. Although the employer’s burden of proving an idiopathic cause is significant, it is not impossible. As such, it is imperative that you hire a workers’ comp attorney in New Jersey to help you get the benefits that you deserve.
Contact Us
Whether an idiopathic injury is compensable will depend on the facts surrounding the accident. As such, it is imperative to hire a workers’ comp attorney in New Jersey who can adequately prove that your idiopathic injury was in fact work-related.
For more information or to schedule a complimentary consultation, call New Jerseys’ compensation attorney Dan Matrafajlo at (908) 248-4404.